St. Mary's Lock Bridge

St Mary's Bridge, Chalford(Photo: 2092 - 20/04/2016)

This bridge provides road access to St Mary's Mill, Chalford.

Construction: A standard Thames & Severn Canal company designed brick-built accommodation bridge. The bricks are handmade and of a dark red colour, laid to a fairly irregular English bond. The bridge has a segmental arch springing from wedge-shaped stone springers and is protected by a simple projecting brick dripmould. The wing walls are built with an inward ‘batter’ and curve outwards from the arch to end in pilaster terminals.

The parapet brickwork is contiguous with that of the wing walls and spandrels rather than being of a separate construction. The parapet is level over the arch and is topped by a plain stone coping. The bridge approaches had to accommodate the difference in levels on the two sides of the canal at this point.